Before the rain set in Tuesday and shortened a 2-0 Phillies victory over the Blue Jays, Ben Lively’s strong outing bored a bright hole through the oncoming Florida clouds. In five shutout innings, Lively allowed three hits, struck out four and walked none, flashing a combination of swing-and-miss potential and run suppression that he couldn’t harness simultaneously in any of his 15 starts as a rookie in 2017. In the process, he lowered his spring ERA to 2.84 and WHIP to 0.84 across 19 innings with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

What he lacks in stuff, Lively makes up for in intensity and an ability to grind through lineups. The most common compliment afforded to him is that he’s a “bulldog” on the mound. He flicks subpar velocity, averaging just 91.3 mph on his fastballs last season. His offspeed pitches are serviceable, if unspectacular. He barely strikes out anyone, ranking 148th out of 153 starters with 80 innings pitched last season. But he barely walks anyone...